A couple of weeks ago I brought up that Wisconsin is one of the states without protection against SLAPP suits. I’ve decided it’s time to change that.
SLAPP – Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation – is the term for a lawsuit filed in civil court under the pretense of something very broad. Defamation is an accusation that is often made. The Plaintiff makes the claim in hopes of scaring and quieting the defendant, and they often work. Lawsuits are very expensive to defend.
Another telltale sign of a SLAPP suit is that the Plaintiff will call very early after the lawsuit commences to offer to settle. The settlement usually demands a retraction or removal of the criticism if it is published, or an apology if it is not. A small dollar amount may be suggested to cover damages.
Anti-SLAPP legislation puts extra burdens on the plaintiff when filing against a critic. The California Anti-SLAPP Project offers a lot of good information if you are interested.
The article, about a young man being sued in Michigan, mentioned there was an attempt to provide protection at a national level. National politics are so messed up right now that I’m not sure I want to wait that long.
Ok, I confess, Wisconsin politics are kind of messed up, too. However, when I visited with my State Representative (soon to be State Senator) Rich Zipperer, he promised to take a look. I’m gathering information to share with him. Here are the states that currently offer protection in addition to California. If you have extra information or stories I can add to the file I’ll be giving Zipperer, it’s time to share!
(cross posted at Fairly Conservative)
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